The Races of Phios
Humans Humans are by far the most populous race in the known world, establishing great civilisations from east to west. The two most dominant powers are the Volatian Empire, both New and Old, and the ancient Empire of the Sun, which covers their vast home continent Esus, as well as old Volatian territory, and most of the south of the continent known as Sufeem. The third human power in the world is the independent Kingdom of Keem, once land of the gnomes. Keem has maintained it independant status by staying out of the wars of Volatia and Dol’Kolar, instead preferring to seek a relationship with the dragonborn neighbours to their west. On a peninsula known as Venys on the south of Cosus exist several power city states, once governed by the Volatians, who now find themselves some of the most powerful nations in the world. To the north one can find the Fyrir, a culture of raiders, warriors, and bards, who live a harsh life in the icy tundra of their homeland, fishing and ranging abroad in their thunderships, so called due to the lightning bolts their prows were crafted into. Humans speak a variety of languages, including High Volatian, Low Volatian; which has become the common dialect throughout Cosus and beyond, Keemish, Dol’Kolosh, Venytian, Fyrir and Sufe. Due to the sheer scale and size of their empires, numerous human peoples and cultural groups have formed over time. These ethnics groups lame claim to specific geographical areas, and each have a unique cultural identity based on both their circumstance and heritage. These various peoples are the Dol’Kolashi, the Sufe, the Esosi, the Mensk, and the Liberians. These groups, along with their respective descendants, are categorized below. ' Dol’Kolashi '' The Dol’Kolash are the people of Dol’Kolar, an empire filled with vast amounts of cultural groups. The empire is divided into eight provinces, roughly correlating to the cultural groups within its borders. ' Sufe ' The people inhabiting the continent of Sufeem are the Sufe. The continent is split in two, with the wildly different north and south each being independent countries. North Sufeem fell under the control of the Dragonlords for much of its history, but Vesuvia has weakened and the North Sufe have been able to claim independence. The South of Sufeem, however, is a close ally of Dol’Kolar, and is often considered a part of its empire. Within these two nations, there are also a tapestry of complex cultural groups, which all speak different dialects, some of which are derived from the national Sufe, others from Dol’Kolar, and still others from the dragontongue of Vesuvia. ' The Esosi and their Descendants ''''The Esosi, for whom the continent of Esos is named after, are the second largest and most populous people on Phios, only behind the gigantic Empire of Dol’Kolash. They Esosi are native to the continent, and historians believe they started somewhere in the empire now known as Sine, before expanding outwards. To the south-east lie the Vanese and Keenese peoples, who eventually formed into to the Van’Keen Empire, and to the north live the Uma, the horse-people of the steppes.' Sinese ' The Sinese are the most closely related to the original Esosi peoples, but their culture has been spread out over such a vast area that it has mixed, evolved, diluted, and grown with the surrounding people that the Sinese Empire brought under its majestic wing. ''' Vanese ' The Esosi travelled south, across the mountains and the rivers, to the lands that would become Van, and then the Vanese Empire. Culturally the Vanese are very similar to the Sinese, due to the latters huge influence in the region, and of course because of their similar ancestry. ' Keenese '' Similar to the Vanese, the Keemish were separated by little more than rivers and mountains from the original lands of the Esosi. The Keemish did however develop a different empire from their Vanese neighbours to the north, but eventually the two empires would unite to become a large player in the geopolitical area and across much of Esos and Phios at large. ' Uma ' Unlike the Vanese and Keenese, some Esosi chose to spread to the north, establishing mostly nomadic communities in the dryer section of the Great East. However, the people who would become the Uma did not get far from their homeland, as the harsher weather to the north-east, and the bands of territorial Ghosts, kept them away. The Uma have developed a distinct identity over their years on the steppes, overtime forging strong bonds with the Ghosts, and learning their ways of horseback riding and archery, and also occasionally adopting the God of the Ghosts; Hyrsam, Prince of Fools. ' The Mensk and their Descendants 'The Mensk are an ancient group of people from the far north of Cosus, who went on to settle much of the eastern side of the continent. They travelled across the Great White, the harsh area known to the locals as Vudmest, and those that stayed in those inhospitable lands became the Vuda. The rest of the Mensk continued west, some travelling further north and becoming the Fyrir, but most moving south-west. Those that then stayed in the places that would become the disputed lands become the Luda, the most isolated and least culturally advanced of the Mensk people. The rest of the ancient Mesnk moved into the lands that would become Draestan and Volatia. These individual groups of Mensk were isolated, and over time developed cultures and identities of their own. People from all of these lands would then flow back the way that the came, thousands of years later, with the discovery of gold in the place that would become Evengrad, becoming the culturally distinct Gradan people. ''' Vuda ' A primordial people who developed their own unique culture and technology in the harsh environment of the Great White. The Vuda are considered most similar to the original Mensk people. The Vuda speak an extremely similar language to the Grada people. ' Luda '' The Luda are a strange and primitive people, even more so than the Vuda to their distant north. Historians say that a flood came across the lands of the Luda, leaving the Yellow Sea in the vast Bay of Ardu, but separating the Luda from the rest of the world and its advancements. ' Grada ' Mostly formed of native Vuda people, the Gradan people developed a distinct identity of their own due to the various people from other nations that flocked to the lands of Evengrad. ''' Fyrir ' Once again, harsh climates and far distances led to the Fyrir developing their own richly unique culture. Ironically, the Fyrir would go on to harass their relatives in Volatian through constant sea-raids in the future. ' Draesta '' The Draest as a people once again greatly influenced by those around them. The gained a natural barbarism and ferocity from their Luda relatives, as well as some more refined aspects from their Volatian cousins to their north-west, and their Dol’Kolash neighbours to the south-east. ' Volatians ' The last place to be settled by the people who had once been the Mensk was Volatia. By this time, the Mensk had changed over countless generation, and it was the wealthiest and most ambitious who made the wide lands of Volatia their own. The country would go on to dominate central Cosus, exerting its significant power to conquer neighbouring countries and form the Old Volatian Empire. ''' The Liberians and their Descendants ' The Liberians are a people who came from the east, some say so east that the east became the west. Either way, the sailed the Great Eastern Ocean, creating outposts all along the south-east coast of Esos. The Liberians established settlements in the Broken Isles and the lands that would become the Old Empire of Setorgis, and would eventually crumble into the Shattered Coast. The Liberians would then wrap around the southern point of Sufeem, but the fierce Sufe and dragonborn that inhabited the continent would keep them from established permanent residence. Eventually, the Liberians would make their way through the Strait of Vesuvia, down the Little Volatian Sea to settle on the Peninsula of Venys and its three sister islands of Davos, Lanos and Myr. These same Liberian people would spread northward, staying on the edge of Volatia to settle in the lands that would become Pradera, and even further west into the lands of Keem, the Kingdom of the Gnomes. ' Boken Islanders '' The Liberians first point of contact with the supercontinent of Phios was the Broken Islands. These original settlements are both the oldest and least nationalist of the Liberian outposts, so they came under the influence of the neighbouring empires of Var and Keen. ' Setorgians ' The Setorgians consider themselves the last great remnant of the Liberians people and their values, even though Setorgis is mostly a culture brewing pot. The people of Setorgis are very different from their eastern neighbours, being from some far-off and unknown continent, and as such have always thought of their empire as the superior and morally right nation within Esos. The Setorgians set themselves apart from their neighbours by their lack of slaves, as the Liberians had not been a slave-keeping people, and dubbed their new empire the ‘Free Empire’, a place where all men were born equal. Of course, this hardly stopped the Setorgian Imperator from dominating his people. ' Venytians ' Originally the Venytian Peninsula was home to the great Republic of Liber, the newfound homeland of the Liberian people of Phios. Eventually, the Liberian people would evolve into the Venytians we know today, after their Republic was shattered by the might of the Old Volatian Empire. ''' Praderans ' The people of Pradera are very similar in makeup to the people of Venys, being descended from the same Liberians who made their way through the Strait of Vesuvia, yet are slightly different due to the amount of influence Volatia has had on them. Pradera was a part of the Old Volatian Empire long before Venys, and as such the Praderans are much more comfortable under the yoke of the emperor. ' Keemish 'While humans lived in Keem before the Old Volatian Empire, most of the Keemish people are descended from displaced Liberians fled from their homeland of Liber in Venys, before the might of the Old Volatian Empire. Now, the Keemish are set apart from their fellow Venytians by the Gnomish blood that flows through their veins. ''' Orcs ' The orcs are a people who have wandered Cosus ever since their ancient homeland of Gromm drifted off into the ocean, millions of years ago. Now, Most orcs live the life of travelling nomads and wanderers, moving through the lands of Cosus trading, fighting, and foraging, searching for a new home for themselves. They have become a well-respected people for their kindness and skill with both weapons and instruments. During the reign of the Old Empire, several orcs rose through the ranks of the legions to lead armies and the Empire itself, and a devout sect of orcish people found a new home in Volatia. Orcs still commonly become leaders and warriors today due to their natural strength a cunning, but most find the life of a wanderer more fitting. Orcs traditionally speak a guttural tongue known as orcish, which shares similarities with the dragontongue, but most orcs settle far from home, and some never learn their own language, instead preferring Common or the local dialect. ' Dwarves ' Dwarves are a more uncommon people out in some of the more ‘civilised’ areas of Cosus. Dwarves tend to keep to themselves, enjoying the company of their kind in the far-off Kingdom of Mead and Metal, beneath the shadow of the vast mountains known as the World’s Crown. Despite their seclusion, some dwarves journey out into the world as adventurers. Dwarves speak their growling language known as dwarven. When dwarves mate with humans, they produce the much loved yet sadly sterile and short-lives creatures known as halflings, who are named such due to being roughly half as, and living roughly half as long, as their human counterparts. Despite their dwarven blood, halflings make the most of their relatively short lifespans by wandering out into the great wide world to spend what time they have seeking joy and comfort. Some halflings venture to the Kingdom of Mead and Metal to join the dwarves in their constant song of laughter and fighting. Halflings who make this journey, and prove themselves worthy, are said to be blessed by the twin Gods of the dwarves Hagmand and Hemma with the immortality afforded to the dwarven people. Halflings refer to themselves by what they consider the more respectful term of Hin, and some see the word ‘halfling’ as a grave insult, one of the few things to drive them to absolute rage. ''' Elves and Feykin ' Feykin are creatures that are descended from or related to fey. The Ghosts, Drow, Avarial, sea elves and Qazam are native to this realm of the Material Plane, while elves having come from some far-off dimension, plucked from their homeland in the second circle of hell, and deposed in some far-off territory across the seas to the east of Phios. Littles is known about the elves, and no human has ever visited their homeland, yet they are a powerful force in the continents. ' Elves '' Warriors, artisans and slavers. Elves call themselves the Rím (pronounced ‘reem’), and entered into this world through an interdimensional breach caused by their dark god, the Dreaded Thirteenth, known to the elves as Zhentaris and to the wider universe as the Tarrasque. The elves founded their new homeland in the area of Cosus that exiled tieflings had established small communities in, and the elves quickly subdued the devil-spawn and took over their homeland. Elves are haughty and view the natives of Cosus as beneath them. Even after living on this plane for millennia, the elves see themselves are foreign outsiders to the world and are constantly suspecting others, especially their Tiefling slaves, of plotting to undermine or overthrow them. This race-wide suspicion drives the elven people, along with their greed and lust for power. The Elves are separated into two Princedoms, or spires, each led by a prince. These two rulers are jointly responsible for governing the larger elven nation. Elves speak a complex, flowing tongue known as elven. In the sadly common case of elven slavers kidnapping suitable human chattel, or an elf choosing to lie with a mortal being, half-elves are produced. Half-elves call themselves the Elvari, but elves call them ‘half-humans’, ‘round-ears’, and ‘mongrels’, while humans use what they consider the less offensive term of ‘half-elf’, which is the most common word used to describe them. Half-elves have the longer lifespans of their immortal elven bloodline, but are sterile due to cross-breeding. Half-elves and rarely if ever accepted by elves, but can sometimes find a home within human communities. Most half-elves, however, go off to the lands of the dwarves or dragonborn in hopes of finding somewhere to finally call home, or simply wander the world, living reclusively in nature. ' Ghosts 'Natives to the wild and untamed lands of the Bastard States, Ghosts are an old people descended from the fey, who once lived in a mostly peaceful lifestyle hunting, foraging and fighting before the arrival of humans in the region. Now, Ghosts live a sad life; hunted nearly to extinction, able to find respite only at the bottom of a bottle or by drawing the blood of the humans who have wronged them. Ghosts call themselves as the Folk, but outsiders may refer to them as ‘wild’ or ‘wood elves’, due to their similar appearance and heritage to other elves. Ghosts have long ears and white skin, with red or blond hair and hazel, red or yellow eyes. They wear rough hides and leather, and commonly paint their bodies with bright blue paint that they make from the small blue flowers that cover the fields and meadows of the Bastard States. The Ghosts have a strong antagonistic relationship with their neighbours the Luda. A Ghost is first recognised as part of their people when they take their first laugh at a young age, and from their they are raised in a strong oral storytelling tradition, rich with stories of the nature gods, particularly Hyrsam, the patron deity of the Folk. The Ghosts have a strong horseback archery tradition, and most of their fighting in done on horseback. They paint their horses and bodies in stripes of vibrant colour, and often ride with sometimes two archers on one horse, fake archers made of wooden frames, and even completely empty horse, made to confuse the enemy. The bows of the ghosts are made from the buffalo that roam the plains, their sinew and horns shapes in to short and curved bands painted in bright blue. The arrows of the Ghosts’ have huge, wide tips, made to penetrate deep into the flesh of men and horses, and tear huge chunks off as they ride. To draw their bows, the Ghosts fashion rings from the horns and leather of the buffalo, often decorating them with intricate carvings. From a young age, every man of the Folk it taught to shoot with both hands, and coming of age is achieved by hunting and killing a buffalo that will then become the hung hunters two rings. These rings can take the form of intricate strips of leather than cover an archer’s entire upper body. After this, the Ghosts often take ears from their conquests, threading their long ears into necklaces that they wear as signs of prestige. ''' Drow ' The oldest inhabitants of Draestan are the drow, a race of black-skinned creatures similar to elves and the Ghosts of the Bastard States. Their skin tone ranges from grey to pitch black, and drow have short, pointed ears and white, grey or black hair. Ear colour is typically pale red or blue, but some Drow have eyes that are silver or even white. ' Qazam '' In the far flung lands of the south, the qazam dwell in the shifting sands of the Great Desert. A deeply traditional people like most of the feykin, the Qazam are connected to the ancient tribes of people who call the deserts home. They have skin in shades of brown and yellow, and often paint themselves in bright colour to mimic their god. Their ears curl back and wrap around their heads, an evolutionary advantage so as not to be burned by the harsh sun. ' Avariel ' Legends speak of strange colonies of winged creatures, with skin in shades of blue and hair of glistening silver, with eyes of piercingly bright colours, and wings of pure, stark white. These rare people are the Avariel, a rare type of elf that dwell in the isolated high places of the world. The Avariel have not been seen by reliable human eyes in millenia, and as such many assume they are just stories and fairytales. ' Sea Elves ''''Much like the Avariel, the people known to humanity as the sea elves are a rare breed. They dwell beneath the waves, hiding in the quiet wet places with the creatures of the ocean. Fyrir sailors speak of seeing these creatures swimming in the waters of the far Aquarian ocean, far from any land, luring sailors to their deaths with their song, but these claims are unsubstantiated.' Dragons and Dragonkin ' Dragonkin are creatures that are descended from or related to dragons. ''' Dragons ' Majestic and ancient beasts, the dragons are extremely rare creatures of great magical power that dwell all across the world. It is believed there are only one of each type of dragon: Red, Blue, Green, White, Black, Gold, Silver, Bronze. From what scholars can tell, when a dragon is killed a new youngling seems to emerge into the world in 50-200 years time, continuing the tradition of that race of dragon. ' Dragonborn ''The ancient peoples known as the dragonborn rule over their ancestral homeland of Volatia on the western tip of Cosus, with their empire of the Dragonlands extending into the northern expanse of Suthos. Dragonborn are famed as warriors and sorcerers, and their society is built on clan, honour, and valour. Their culture is noble and refined, and dragonborn poets and artists produce some of the most renowned art in the known world. The dragonborn speak a guttural language, passed on from their draconic ancestors, known as the dragontongue. Dragonborn seem to have branched off from dragons millions of years ago. ' Lizardfolk (Drastix) The Drastix, or as they are known by humans; lizardfolk, are humanoid creatures said to be closely related to dragons. Lizardfolk dwell in the wilderness of the world, far from human civilisation. They seek only solitude, and perhaps to serve and worship a dragon if one may dwell nearby. It is unknown where they came from, but the lizardfolk spread quickly if unchecked. They seem to hate what many consider civilisation, shunning many of the trappings of society.